ARC Trial Study Personnel FAQs

What if a patient does not want to watch the videos at all, but says they are interested in the study? Are we obligated to show them the videos?

No. If the patient declines to watch the videos and would prefer to have you present the information to them verbally, that is their choice. However, for informed consent purposes, all the relevant information about the trial and participation in it must be presented to the patient. You can use the printed versions of the [...]

What if a patient prefers to talk with the RA before watching the recruitment video?

Be flexible when approaching a patient about participating in the study. Use the RA script as a guide, but do not feel like you have to adhere to it rigidly. Some patients may want to ask you questions first or hear you give a brief overview of the study before proceeding. To be prepared for [...]

What if the RA misses an eligible patient in clinic?

If the physician completed a Clinic Screening Form (CSF) but the RA did not approach the patient about the study in clinic, record this in the Study Recruitment section (F) of the screening log. Then select “missed/skipped - RA unavailable” as the reason the patient was not approached, or “Other,” as appropriate. If other, please [...]

What if a patient needs more time to decide but cannnot come back into clinic for the research-only visit?

This scenario might occur at clinics that serve rural populations but is likely to be rare otherwise. Like the pending MRI cases discussed in C3, these patients can be consented and provisionally enrolled if they meet all eligibility criteria. Perform all of the usual enrollment procedures with the patient except for randomization. Follow up with [...]

Can a patient be consented even if they don’t yet have an MRI?

Yes, but ONLY IF: (1) the patient meets ALL other pre-MRI eligibility requirements, (2) an MRI has been ordered, and (3) the patient will not return to clinic to receive their MRI results (due to provider standard practice); OR the patient will receive a research MRI. (NOTE: A patient must be consented prior to receiving [...]

What should I tell a patient who is interested in teh study but does not want to be followed for the full 10 years?

If this is the patient’s only hesitation about participating in the study, remind them that they are permitted to withdraw from the study at any point in time. The data for the first 12 months (i.e., the primary study) is the most important, so we would like for them to participate for at least that [...]

How do I access the ARC recruitment & consent videos?

The ARC Recruitment & Consent videos can be found in the Research Personnel section of the www.shoulderstudy.org website. Both that section of the website and the videos themselves are password protected. The password to access the Research Personnel section is: arcshoulder123 (all lowercase). The password for the videos is: ARCtrial (ARC in caps, trial lowercase)

How do I determine if the patient is able to provide informed consent?

For this study, a patient must be able to voluntarily provide informed consent for him/herself. A guardian or family member cannot give consent on behalf of a patient. If a patient has a legal guardian or a conservator for medical decisions, they should be excluded from the study. In some cases, a physician or family [...]

Go to Top